A tragic shooting at a mosque complex in southern California on Monday left three people dead, while two teenage suspects were later found dead inside a vehicle from suspected self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police authorities confirmed.
The attack happened at the Islamic Centre of San Diego, one of the largest mosques in San Diego County. Emergency responders arrived at the scene and discovered three victims outside the mosque complex before launching an intensive security operation around the area.
Television footage from the scene showed heavily armed police officers surrounding the mosque while emergency teams attended to victims.
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said investigators were treating the incident as a possible hate crime, revealing that hateful rhetoric appeared to have been connected to the attack.
“We are actively investigating this as a hate crime. There was definitely hate rhetoric that was involved,” Wahl told reporters.
According to police, officers responded to reports of an active shooter and arrived within minutes. Authorities immediately entered the mosque and nearby school buildings to secure worshippers, students, and staff.
A few blocks away from the mosque, officers located a vehicle with the two suspects — aged 18 and 17 — dead inside.
“The suspects at this point appear to have died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. There were no officers involved in firing their weapons,” Wahl said.
One of the victims killed in the attack was identified as a security guard at the Islamic Centre. Police praised his actions, saying he likely prevented the situation from becoming even deadlier.
“His actions were heroic, and he undoubtedly saved lives today,” the police chief added.
Authorities disclosed that the mother of one of the suspects had contacted police roughly two hours before the shooting, reporting that her son was suicidal and that several weapons, along with her vehicle, were missing.
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The attack triggered a temporary lockdown in the surrounding area before police later confirmed that the threat had been neutralised.
Imam Taha Hassane of the Islamic Centre said staff members, worshippers, teachers, and children at the mosque’s school were safe, although the community remained deeply shaken by the incident.
“We have never experienced tragedy like this before,” he said. “It is extremely outrageous to target a place of worship.”
US President Donald Trump described the shooting as a “terrible situation,” while New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the attack as an apparent act of anti-Muslim violence.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also reacted, saying places of worship should never become scenes of fear or violence.
“Hate has no place in California, and we will not tolerate acts of terror or intimidation against communities of faith,” Newsom said.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing as authorities continue gathering evidence and examining the motive behind the deadly attack.
